Joe Rogan Experience #1925 — Sonny, from Best Ever Food Review Show Transcript

Transcript

0:00 Joe Rogan Podcast, check it out! And I say that because, not to be too grandiose from the start, Thank you. It's really fun to watch. I yes, I was very stoked. You know, when you reached out to me And so around the age of 24, I felt like I was pretty rudderless. I tried doing a couple of I mean, radio is kind of infamous for not paying any money. And so I was at a point in my life where I just thought I need to do something.

2:48 But I ended up staying there for eight years. And I'd really only been in central Minnesota at that point. It was just cat videos. And as you may know, people there study their asses off. voice so well in in Korea I wanted to get a gig teaching and so to teach like, oh, it's going to be difficult to teach people if you don't have any experience or any credentials teaching English.

5:23 You do the lesson. And so if you just asked, can you pay cash, some would get your point. individualistic society here. And Korea is much more of a communal society. People care a lot more what other people think. You know, I tried dating a Korean woman one time. Challenging, my interest to filmmaking. One was in law school. And I didn't have a direction quite yet.

8:53 I looked at filmmaking systematically. deported from this country, am I going to be able to go back to the USA and have a skill or a job But I did that for eight years straight. the amount of money it cost, Even in Japan, going into Japan, guy looks like he's got something to prove. And I would rehearse my story. What are you doing here? me to the side room. They go, what are you what are you really doing here? You're teaching. You're

12:31 Show me your visa. So this is where YouTube comes in. Yeah. Tons of foreigners live in the neighborhoods around there. James Adomian came once. And so they would fly over comedians. And the audience is, of course, all people who speak there too. So there is a gigantic community of foreigners there. doing corporate videos, doing Red Bull video. I did videos for Red Bull in Korea.

15:29 and that's something I started doing. that really inspired me. people are just trying to emulate what already exists on the travel channel, which is what I didn't understand at the time because all the shit on the travel channel was so dry. Oh, that's a good question. in Korea? That is not international content. So early on, I decided, and I wasn't shy about it.

18:06 on the Travel Channel. And this shit was so inspiring to me as someone living in central were you always like when he was in and he had to spit it out Why were they eating the stinky tofu? in good spirits. And so... What is it like? Oh, it's really stinky. Really? So it's tofu, but they make it into a sandwich. And there's tomato and there's some vegetables inside and a bunch of sauce.

21:32 It's not that good of a story. So you just got accustomed to keeping sweat out of your eyes? But bandana just worked for me. Well, yeah, because it's like, who's this guy with this? But I got to wear it now. Actually, when I work out, I do wear it. like there's in the Avengers, there's this scene with the Hulk where they're asking like, oh, I got a brother allergic to gluten.

23:58 It's going to look disrespectful. eat but when i was in with the datoga tribe in tanzania and they've just ripped open this cow So they dip the liver into the gastric acid? But I loved it because I loved how the people there were so into it. In Tanzania, they have a very interesting way to kill the goat. it's going to be gone. No. In Northern Thailand, they will take the buffalo bile and drip it over their rice, their sticky

27:02 Bitter in part, sorry, bile in particular? Yeah, I've seen it a few different places But sometimes they ate things because they were available. green poop juice on there. And in this tribe specifically, it was a woman's job to dispatch the animal and to butcher up the animal. Jesus. Then they mix the rest of the bile, blood, and organs all together and present it to the men.

29:45 it there for you know three four minutes until it stopped moving and i asked the guy in the interview I do think that they're both pretty bad. Organs. The Maasai are really famous for eating milk, blood and meat almost exclusively. At least it used to be that way. And now, you know, Right. Yeah. At least be good at it. Some might go to pregnant women.

33:21 Like, oh, liver and onions, gross. this country where people are so into, whether it's entrepreneurship or extreme sports or fighting, we're so extreme And that's something I don't really understand when it comes to how many Americans look at food from around the world. I've not asked, and I have my own assumptions. And this is really powerful, potent, gamey parts of the animal.

35:41 The Mexican dish is filled with tripe and all kinds of stuff. Because I know it's good. something can taste like the animal's fur. And they said it's very good. horse is normal. It's a normal food to eat. Yeah. Yeah. I think they're trying to make it A friend of mine asked me to shoot a zebra on his property because he has an evil zebra that's killing the younger zebras.

37:42 males from coming up and challenging them eventually. And they wind up killing all these younger males. And the only way to preserve the younger male Corey Knowlton, who had been on the podcast before. It goes to protect habitat and maintain the structures and the fences And the best way to make them valuable is people pay a lot of money to go over there and hunt them, which sounds so counterintuitive.

40:33 And so specifically what we did in that video And it's like, there's no fucking lions in the fence, dummy. So they have a certain number of animals on the property. Let me check the menu. It's tough because I am still a YouTuber. And what surprised me is after you shoot it, you don't get the meat. It's their property still. So somebody – I think it was a dentist in Minnesota actually where I'm from.

43:20 And I thought some questions would be layup questions or even dumb questions. Well, okay. I believe that does happen. Take him. Right. And so there's a lot of gray area too, because the zebra populations, even the zebra traditionally eaten over there. And it's according to you and according to people. I mean, zebra is something that's traditionally eaten over there.

46:14 but he did this whole thing survive is if they're worth something and even then you have to spend so much money to keep them Right. How much does it cost to take a picture of one? Enormous, like very scary buffalo. No pressure cookers. from there and donate it all to a nearby village. And so this was cooked up by koi son people koi son find pretty much in all of africa no one's eating medium rare steaks in most of Africa.

49:18 But like I said, the zebra, we experienced like that. And so when you hunted the zebra, this is – what kind of zebra is this again? in time protected? The numbers And when you hunted them, but on another level, because you kind of know you're going to get an animal and you go through And what does the terrain look like? Yeah. And so there are things to hide behind.

51:51 It's like I don't feel nervous, but my body doesn't care. Was that the first time you'd killed a large animal like that? So ideally you should have your, I don't know, Oh, man. I can't leave this place without shooting an animal. And so luckily I got two say. Because when I just injured the animal, I was with a rifle. It's something in between. Yeah. Shopping with a rifle. It's something in between.

54:52 Horrocks? Yeah, it was incredible. But you'll find kudu in the grocery store. So it's really all over the other. The people that I know that have gone over to Africa say that the meat stays there, Really? If you want to chuck that in the trash right after I leave, that's fine. The meat just gets dried out over time because of the fireplace. I think you're going to be confused by this.

57:34 Okay, so, well. They dry the whale meat, but again, it's been in my suitcase for a while. it's called a pilot whale so this is a a very controversial food on the Faroe Islands. I'm going to think about it. It's it's like they they get the whales and they bring them to shore. Yeah. I mean, somebody took me on a market tour in Japan, and they're like, well, the meat is left over.

1:00:03 And she did. Let's go. Corporate jobs? for how to allocate the meat. The process of actually getting the whales though, they steer That's why it's controversial. that's going to be coming up. Oh my God, this is horrific. Well, yeah. Holy shit. And they're slicing their necks. I mean, I have eaten dog, but I wouldn't probably eat it again. and he said it was just there's a part of you that's like what the fuck like

1:03:35 tsunami hunters. How do you say that? So, I mean, no wonder people, no wonder it's controversial. they have this tool they use to kind of go into their spine quickly, like this, what you, the footage you just pulled up, the difference is nobody ever goes to their It's got a big layer of blubber on the outside. You can only take it away. And it's a tradition that they've had for hundreds of years at this point.

1:05:56 these people have lived on this island for who knows how long, They're not growing a lot of crops. there's thousands of people live there how many thousands fifty thousand and you know cities there Yeah. I didn't really have... They had a couple different preparations. Yeah, I wonder if you tried it. Let's hold it up to the camera so people can see what it looks like.

1:08:20 Okay. But it's not oily like pork would be. They slice it, but just like you saw there, they slice it very, very thin. And so that's just how they get their source of fat because this or come near the islands and if they're spotted They, Tanzania, the government there has an amazing program to help them keep living the lifestyle that they're living. There's maybe, I don't know, three to 5,000 still living the traditional way out there.

1:10:57 So when I was with them, I planned to go there for three days. I didn't even bring my crew. I don't know what's going to happen. And these guys are incredible because their hunting prowess is on a different level. So right here, I've just arrived. Is that their primary game species and that night they all got high and went to sleep. and I just want to dig into that really specific food part.

1:13:23 He went there before me and I was like, this is incredible. He went there during the pandemic and I was stuck Then they scrape a bit of the hair off, but not really. that they can soak up the ugali with, this is when I was the most conflicted in a long time. Cause I was like, right now I get a monkey They have, sometimes they have jeans I'm trying to figure it out.

1:15:31 So salt is the only thing that they cook with that would actually give anything flavor. Yeah. looks like, where'd you buy that from? No, I made it from a piece of wood. I know how to spot the and that's for shooting little birds day and night hunting. And they just must get such a, an incredible rush or dopamine spike from just It's just rocks. and they would just go in. And at some point I was like, I can't fucking do it. They're so fast.

1:18:36 There was no bravado, at least So why is the baboon the prized species? You had a translator? And they'll talk about the arrow. If maybe they go to hunting, they hear sound of the baboon. What's funny about the translator is his English felt limited sometimes. most everything else is homemade or of their own making. There's a number of different creatures that they can get.

1:21:27 and it's her job as kind of the The Datoka tribe was near them. They seem super comfortable just letting you hang out and eat with them and share their food. Oh, wow. They really are living like people lived tens of thousands of years ago. but with some countries, And it was... Did you ask them how they So that's another big part of their hunting is that they have about 12 different dogs there.

1:24:11 The dogs are watching them eat this monkey and they're like, The dogs eat the ugali as well? I think, and that's what I wondered when I was going there too, because... nomadic and they would be able to follow the animals. And these guys can't follow the animals. We'll give you some food and some game meat when times are tough. Yes. mountain goat yeah the clip springer i had some of that um there wasn't let's see they had a little bit of a they had a tiny bird and they had a some kind of a rodent i forgot what it was called it's

1:27:27 Have you seen a hyena in person? And the dogs will chase them away, Hey, Bill, do you find when you go around the world that, you know, we're just a lot more alike than we are different and we're all just kind of the same? He knows it's going to be a dark answer. Different way of life. Yeah. batteries and stuff out there. thing that they like. And they talk about it because of the taste. I think it's about the

1:30:12 Yeah they got crazy teeth. Yeah. again, we were hoping then the baboons will move that you've had like eating? There's a place in Vietnam on the coast called Vung Tau. So we did a whole series just about eating different animal organs. Okay, today There it is. You're so good with the clips. Jamie's, yeah, there it is. Ooh, you're so good with the clips.

1:32:14 Oh, Whoa! Yeah, monkfish. tried in Japan. And so this is And so what does it taste like? I just really didn't enjoy it. I mean, this is a Stingray restaurant. Yeah, yeah. Well, that's how you and I got in touch recently. grocery store bottle. So if I went through customs, I wouldn't have any issues. Good move. In a moment? Some people know how this works already

1:35:35 that we went to this village of maybe 500 people, And the reason they need rope ladders They climb the ladders or descend from the ladders. I mean, one of the scariest, you see all these bees here. Right. and that's never what you want. When I flew my drone there, I landed the drone, So the smoke is to try to calm down these bees, right? Oh, boy. But they want to protect the hives at all costs.

1:39:09 It creates a neurotoxic effect in your brain when you eat it. He was the one who owned the cliff where the honey is. That's pretty extreme. which is interesting because I looked it up, like, I want to try the honey. And he's a bit of a hater. And he's like, it's fucking honey. What's Just give me more. do it. So here's what he said. I've got his text right here. Feels good. Warm, warm breath.

1:41:37 I can't tell. At 5.40am I'm like, I need to know exactly which spoon you used. It sounds like shit. It should be over before we really feel it. I also brought these. These are a little bit deeper. Okay. I think I should use a regular spoon. Okay, let's try a little bit. Try a little bit. I don't know if you want to share this plastic spoon. I also brought these.

1:42:52 Okay. I'm just going to have a little bit. Yeah, I got a show I got to do. Let's find out so Itchy. So I'm told, at least by this guy in the mountain in Nepal, don't drink any water. At least here in my throat, I'm feeling it. And I think that's what makes it difficult to move and to walk. Huge mistake. It might be soothing. There's not one? There's not one.

1:46:17 See what the recommended dose of Mad Honey is. No. genetics, tolerance, lifestyle, Yeah, like edibles. I don't know what I'm going to do with it. We had a local beekeeper on recently. She said you have to buy local honey. Buy local honey from local beekeepers. I totally so. But that's based on fucking nothing. That's just my intuition. She said you have to buy local honey. Buy local honey from local beekeepers.

1:48:21 Oh, I think you'll be fine. I think you just kind of tasted a little bit. market. What's interesting about the market is Right. bitter taste, and a trippy high. He was dry heaving, vomiting. what are people doing? People out there huffing paint, you know? And I just love the fact that people that live in different parts of the world Such a unique animal.

1:51:23 Yes. And they killed a camel and butchered it and they all sat around together Sometimes beef could take a little bit of work to make it not so beefy. get brisket. It's got tons of fat. It's got that thick to cook. How do you cook it? you know, one of those pellet grills, and I'll set the Traeger to 265 degrees, which is fairly low. It's pretty simple.

1:55:07 Yeah. where I just sear it, I'm so dumb. which isn't real Wagyu. What the Japanese have done expertly over time is create a brand around Wagyu beef. Because one of the things that always disturbed me about that Yeah, for sure. But I don't think that – sorry, the honey. I went to one of the shops, one of the auction houses where they grade. So I think they're doing whatever they can to get the highest rating possible.

1:58:35 Oh, it's like a cat scan or something. There's so much fat in those animals. front of you there. They light it on fire. It's a show. It's an experience. all, like it melts in your mouth Yeah. And I was like, how is this Wagyu? and the Faroe Islands for the first time. I lived in Korea eight years. And I want to go to those places in the future and try to, you know, film what people haven't filmed a thousand times before.

2:02:09 It's a cow, not a bull. They add leaves to it to make it a who was here that was talking to us about food recently they just get the perfect amount of temperature on the steak and sear it. But it's a tradition. But it's very tender, and they cook it very rare. they served raw horse over rice. But the horse was delicious. So you know the skate already.

2:05:59 But this is like more old dude drinking food. So that's certainly one. and they pair that with beer, and they love that contrast. And, you know, everything tastes fresh after they got the ammonia out of it. And I started with the show and I was making the international food. And I'm a filmmaker, like a commercial filmmaker for corporations and stuff, doing music videos.

2:09:00 they just went home. For me, when I went to Korea, I had $2,000 in my pocket, in my bank account. And my feeling was just, I mean, you know lots of successful people. they realize they're the same person. You know, with the channel, this is all still getting back to why I moved to Vietnam. and I have a YouTube channel that's not making any money. And I've made like 20 videos.

2:12:17 I'm moving to Vietnam and I'm going there for the purpose of making this channel actually I think I was too corny and silly and irreverent in the beginning. who speak English as a second language and edit videos that are on par with or I think better than much of the shit that you see on network television now. Did you know how to speak it? And the reason it's difficult.

2:14:18 No? It's a different type of pronoun change. I'm very hungry. Yeah. So emi or m doi m doi why so and even that pronunciation is probably wrong Like on top of something. like, okay, I'm going to be the older one. Mops at Mopsura And they're like, I don't know these fucking English words at all. I have no excuse. Well, so I think possibly because of the French occupation there,

2:17:14 Oh, it's pretty good. Yeah, that's good. we want to change our intonation to create questions. Oh, my God. So I do need to study more in the future. Like, just Coco is friend. Oh, so this is interesting. Just kind of going back to mission, me saying like, oh, I hit that She could have. And the idea was like, do something easy, go to Hanoi, go throughout the country, go

2:20:16 the next year. And in the past, we'd always focused on a country maybe within the next month completely different from mainland India. Everything you know about Indian people and Oh, yes. backed over a cat threw it in a box took it home cooked it fascinating not an easy place to go to The government took away our cameras. It's interesting. Lovely people.

2:23:00 It's like 1 a.m. So every time you walk into this hotel, it's like you're going through airport security. They see a bunch of wires inside because we have all of our chargers. And so they're scared of journalists and they're scared of more uprisings in the future. Can you just show them your YouTube channel and your bandana? right so it's two camera guys and my

2:25:12 I'm not doing anything else. it back. It's like, alright. Egypt is a country of two or three hours just to get access to So then we get in there and they said, no, you can take this gear when you leave the country. It's amazing. He whips out a wallet with a dirty ID on it. It has my picture on it. What does he want you to delete? And that's it. It's confusing to understand the motives sometimes, especially because we had a permit that said we had permission to shoot on the sidewalks and to do exactly what we were doing.

2:28:58 what they consider not beautiful footage of food well and if you look it up there are people I mean, make sure you have a good guide or someone with you. And when we posted the videos, Regular tourists, regular people, shots before and it's all shot on iphone it looks incredible and nobody could you know necessarily And I wish I got to spend more time there.

2:31:28 What's awesome about it is the time we went was like still, And you can go up into the big pyramid. But a few months after we posted the videos about Egypt, I don't know if that's me. I know. See, this is what... So you changed the rules. Bourdain didn't have to 500 videos. It seems to help But if you go onto YouTube, there's a bunch of people that have like cut our clips from

2:33:45 to create curiosity. How many views Isn't it kind of amazing? Oh, my God. Hole in the ground. It's tough. and you detail all the bullshit that you had to go through. Is that right? go to Egypt on a grand scale, I would say Graham Hancock is one of the very top of that Excuse me, Ancient Apocalypse. It's different from food I've had in any other country.

2:36:45 Well, with an economy that must depend on the large part for tourism. I have many friends that have gone there and said it changed the way they look at the world. What would you want to get out of a trip? Because we know that it also wiped out 90% of all North American people when they came over here. impact theory. And this It's really, really fascinating stuff.

2:39:40 Because everything was wiped out to the point where all we have left is these immense stone structures, which we have no understanding of the construction methods at all to this day. They don't know, though. We really don't have the equipment. Right. or see alien technology, will we be able to figure it out or understand it? In 2,000 years, they've gone from slaughtering people with swords and bows and arrows and catapults to making incredible videos like you made with a fucking iPhone.

2:43:09 So if these anatomical human beings existed 200,000 years ago, and they had enough time and enough agriculture and enough food and resources to develop incredibly complex, really advanced technology that's dissimilar from the advanced technology that we have today. We like to think of advanced technology as only involving internal combustion engines and silicon chips.

2:43:46 time, whether it's 20,000, 30,000 years to evolve these technologies and then boom, hit by giant the most sense when you look at the immense amount of data that points to this Younger Dryas impact controversial the idea is i've not looked into it enough from me seeing enough cultures and being And that's tragic. You ever tried rat? Where else have you been?

2:47:14 I've been to Costa Rica. Because if it was me, I'd be like, we're going on safari. Yeah, understood. it was amazing. It was beautiful. And the people are so nice. Yeah. They're so friendly. It's really incredible when you think about And it feels like they don't go for it until the last couple rounds. If you've ever seen it live, you know they play the music and they go through this.

2:49:59 They don't fight hard at all in the last round because they might have to fight again in a week. Like go to San Chai Muay Thai record. Wow, that's remarkable. That's San Chai here in the pink shorts. and he's very fast. Or is that something you've not seen before? They get hit. It's gambling. I didn't see much because I was with my family. there. We actually did this experience where you go and harvest rice with them. So they take you

2:53:52 Yeah. completely different well that's the same with italian food oh yeah i believe it yeah if you I'll do it. think of as Asia. Right. That's South Asia. But being there, you just realize it's so different actually being there than whatever representation you get here. Generally, of course, you can still Yeah. Yeah, thank you. Best Ever Food Review Show. It's a silly name. 9.54 million subscribers. Congratulations,